Fuse



n. F. AsBuRY.

FUSE. APPu'cATloN flu-:D ssPT. la. 1920.

PatentedSept. 5, 1922.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT ortica FUSE.

Application led September 13, 1920. Serial No. 409,821.

`To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DoRsEY F. ASBURY, a

citizen of the United States, and resident ofVV Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuses, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to fuses and particularly to those types employed to effect the ,ignition `of the bursting charges of projectiles.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide improved means for assuring the safety` of the fuse in handling and transportation and the successful and certain operation thereof after an associated -projectile has been discharged from a gun; to provide a safety guard `which yis normally held in safe or locked status by a force which exerts its maximum strength when the guard is locked and diminishes, in strength as the guard is released; to provide a safety guard which is held in safe or locked status by a magnetic force and released bya different force; to provide a safety guard which is maintained in safe or locked status by a magnetic force and released by centrifugal force; to provide a safety guard which is formed of a plurality of members held together by a magnetic force and releasable from each other under the influence of centrifugal force, to provide a safety guard formed of a plurality of magnets coacting normally `with each other to maintain the safe or locked status of the` guard, to provide structural means assurlng the correct assembly of the magnet elements of the safety guard; and to simplify and economize in the manufacture of this type of fuse by reducing the number of parts to a minimum and rendering their assembly an operation of extreme ease.

I shall describe myv invention in the best form known to me at present and as applied to a percussion fuse, 4but it should be understood and apparent that it is equally applicable to other forms of fuses, such as ytime and combination fuses, and that it issusceptible to improvement in forms, proportions and details of constructionby the exercise of ordinary mechanical skill and without departing `from the spirit of the invention.` Y

inner end of the stock.

Reference is had `to the accompanying drawing, in which the same parts are indicated by similar letters throughout'the several views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a percussion fuse showing my invention applied; an associated projectile being shown in broken lines;

Figure 2, 'a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; y

FigureB, a view similar to Figure 2 with the safety guard in released or unlocked position; and

Figure 4ta detail perspective view of the primer carrier.

Referring to the drawing A is the fuse stock which is exteriorly threaded at 10 whereby it may be screwed into a correspondingly threaded passage in the base of the projectile indicated at`B The stock A is provided with a chamber 11, the inner end of which is reduced at 12 forming a shoulder 13 while the outer end opens through the Threaded in the chamber 11 is a primer carrier 14 having the usual flash passage 15 and primer seat 16, which latter carries a primer 17. The inner end of the primer carrier 111 is provided with an annular flange 18 forming a seat or housing for a safety guard to be hereinafter described, and. having diametrically opposite recesses 19 formed therein. The firing pin of my fuse is indicated generally at C and comprises a body portion 20 which seats in the reduced chamber 12, and a firing point 21 which is guided during movement of the pin in a recess 22 formed in the primer carrier and leading to the primer 17.

My improved safety guard which constitutes an important feature of my invention is seated in the housing formed by the flange 18y of the primer carrier and interposed normally between the body portion 20 of the firing pin and the primer 17. I form this guard of two substantially segmental magnets 23 and 24 which are assembled with the positive pole of one magnet opposed to the negative pole of the other magnet whereby the magnets constituting the guard are normally held together as shown in Fig. 2 by a magnetic force and in which status the guard is interposed between the body portion of the firing pin and the primer carrier to prevent movement of the pin toward the primer 17 and thus normallymaintain the safe status oli-the ruse" during handling and transportation "In the form of my invention illustrated and described the magneticforce hold-ing the elements of the guard together is adapted to be overcome'by the centrifugal force due to the rotation of an associated projectile in flight with the result that afterthe projectile is `discharged the magnets 23 and24'are moved tothe position shownV in Fig' 35 when the firing' pin Cisffree -tofmove forward and" Y other is formed of soft iron.

` In order to assure theassembly jor the l magnets 23y and 24 With thep'ositive pole. of

one opposite the negativepole ofthev other I' provide on each magnet an extension y2.5 which extensions are slidably engagedin respective recesses' 19 and are; disposed oil center vvith' respect to their related magnets. By this construction I divide each magnet into long and short armsI` alvvaysconstitutlng the positive pole'and the long 4arms j always constituting the` negative pole orvice versa. VViththe magnets so arranged,

` prompt "separation of' the magnets for jperthe desired action of the fuse upon extension o-nfeach'fmagne't slidably engaged thearmedfst'atus ofi lthe fuse.

it Will be apparent'that it `Would'be impos-` sible to assemble them inoperative position in the fuse except When the long arm of one is opposed to the short` arm' of the .other for otherwise the long armsvvould overlap and prevent assemblyf'It Willalso'be ob,- served'that Where onlyone permanent inagnet` is employed in the guardltjlie eirtensions,

25 and recesses 19 also assure and maintain correct assembly even though said exten-f sions f are/located centrally of the'e'- leinents;` The construction just pointed'out also has" the advantage of `locking the magnets against'Y relative rotation'With-respectto aipart ixe'd' relative to the fuse stock sQf that the elements oi2 the guard immediately` partake 'f theffull rotation of the" stock and projectile vvhen the latter l 1s dischargcch (thus assuring.

mi'tting impact.

I @1aim:'

"l, The CO-mbination With`a projectile,ofi

a fuse including elements normally'held magneticallyin' one relation tofA establish the unarrnedstatus 'of the'r'use and in another relationby centrifugal force incidentt'o ro',-V

tation of the projectile in fiightto establish j, 2'. Infa'fuse; a stoclyafiring pim a-"primer,r

and? elements carried byvv t-he'st'ockl normally held magnetically in one relation to establish the unarmed status of the fuse, and in an4 other relation by centrifugal lorceto, estab- 1' against movement toWardt-he primer, said safety gua-rd being held in restraining relation to'the tiri-ng pin by magnetic force and in non-restraining relation by centrifugal force. j Y

'4. afuse, a stock `*and a fuse mechanism carriedA by the stock including awiiring pin, a yprimerv and a safety Aguard comprising a; u r80 plurality of meinbe,rs'normally held together by' a magnetic force vto providepa barrier between the firing pin `and'lprimer,v and` separable 'transversely of the stocky to remove Y such barrier.` Y V Y n 5. In a. fuse, 'a stock',l and a fuse mechanismy plurality ofi cooperating magnets.` l

'6. In a fuseya stock;` and a vfuse 'mechan'is'mv carried by the 'stock' vincluding a' een'`` trifugally released 4'safety guard 1 formedf of a plurality of members'norm'ally 'heldl in:

sa carriedl by the stock including a centrifu' gall'lymreleased' safety guard formed 'of al gally` released lsafety""guard Vnormallyl main.' y'

tainingthe safe statusfof` the fuse,` saidy guard comprising-a plurality of cooperating magnets having their V'poles- `i`n :oppose-dj fre-- lation.. Y `i i 8. In a'fuse", a' stock, a fuse mechanism carried by the stock and including a cenf,

vtritugally released safety guard formedof a pair orv cooperating rnagnets and struc-*` tural meansassuring the correct 'assembly ol'said ma nets.v l "i' 9. In a use, astoclnga fuse mechanism carried by'the'stoc'lr"andr including a eenl trifugal'ly 'released safety guard formed or' a pair otcooperating magnets7 and 'st-ructural means' assuring theft assembly of saidf magnets in *afre'lation of opposite polarity; 10. In a "fuse, a steek, affuseme'chanisnr carri-ed by the stoclrincluding a'ncentrifugal'l'yrreleased safety guard'r'o'rmed vof* a pair of cooperating segmental magnets, and an respectively [in radial recesses-ormed in a part of 'the mechanism fined'relatively to' the stock, each of said extensionsv being disposed off centerI Wi'threspectto vits related' magnet. l

1111" In a fuse7 a stocl'lr',y a' firing pin-'and a prnnerA Carrier mounted Within the stock,

' said primery 'carrier having an annular'lan-ge on'V itsiinner end provided vv-itlil dia'metriically opposite recesses, a centrifugally *releasedI separation of the ma nets under the influence of centrifugal torce.

13. In a fuse, astock, and a fuse mechanism carried by t-he stock7 Whose safe status is maintained by a magnetic force and its ring status established by centrifugal force. In testimony whereof I hereunto alx my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DORSEY FROST ASBURY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. SIGGERS, FLORENCE A. BLINN. 

